Walk this Way

'Tales from the Big Trails' by Martyn Howe

Hello again!  Sorry for the delay, but, y'know, life...

My latest read was 'Tales from the Big Trails' by Martyn Howe, a personal story of one man's attempt to walk 19 of the most famous - and challenging - long-distance walking routes in England, Scotland and Wales.

Opinion Peace

'How Not to Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind' by James O'Brien.

We live in complicated times.  Thanks to traditional and social media, we're not only more aware of socio-political issues than ever before, but also expected to have something to say about them all.  On top of everyday discussions with friends and family, it's become the norm for TV and radio presenters to ask us to text, tweet or email our opinions on the topic of the day.  But can we always tell which opinions come from facts and experience, and which are inspired by feelings and trauma?  And are we doing ourselves - and the wider debate - a disservice by not working out which is which?  These questions lie at the heart of James O'Brien's latest book, 'How Not to Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind'.

Miss, Educated

'Educated' by Tara Westover (Penguin Random House, 2018)

With schools still closed or partially closed due to Covid-19, education is back in the headlines.  At first, it seemed like a dream scenario for many students, but the novelty soon wore off, and many are now realising the long term damage of a disrupted education.  Someone who knows more than most about the challenges of catching up on missed classroom time is Tara Westover, author of memoir 'Educated'.

Tara Westover grew up in rural Idaho, USA, the youngest of seven children in a family dominated by her father.  His twin obsessions were becoming as self-sufficient as possible in preparation for the end of the world, and avoiding contact with the authorities.  As such, while the children didn't go to school or see doctors, they learned to preserve food, use firearms and hide resources such as fuel around the family homestead.  They worked as his crew in their scrap yard, often risking life and limb in an environment where health and safety amounted to decaying steel toe-capped boots and not much else.  When accidents occur, the children are treated by their herbalist mother.  As she grows up, Tara's relationship with her siblings changes as they each begin living lives of their own.  While Tyler shows her there may be hope beyond the farmstead, the mercurial Shawn leaves her broken and doubting her own mind.  When Tara herself finally decides to pursue formal education, she manages to overcome her father's opposition, but, when challenged by life in an alien outside world, will she flee and return to the familiarity of home?

Real to Reel

Disclaimer: Today is very, very hot.  As a result, this post might be complete gibberish.  If so, I apologise.  If not, I clearly have more stamina than I realise.  But the only way you're going to find out is by reading on!

'It's Only a Movie'
by Mark Kermode
(Random House, 2010)

While recovering from a bout of flu earlier this month, I staggered to the bookshelf and, with much effort, coughing and spluttering, managed to pick up 'It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive' by established critic Mark Kermode.  Fortunately, it was a good choice.

'It's Only a Movie' is a charming, whistlestop tour through Kermode's life and career as a film journalist in print and on radio.  An entertaining collection of loosely linked anecdotes, it hop, skips and jumps through tales of how his childhood obsession developed into an unlikely career with the energy of a comic book fan on their way to yet another superhero movie.  From inspirational schoolboy cinema visits, to teenage pretension and adult near incompetence at university and in his early jobs, this is the story of a man who nearly ruins Time Out, gets shot at in LA, champions horror movies, enters a long term, on air relationship, is broken by Russia, gets kicked out of Cannes Film Festival and, of course, watches an awful lot of movies.  When there's love, peril and (hopefully) a happy ending, it's bound to be a hit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It's silly, but it's fun.  The author freely admits that he may not be quite telling the truth, but that's fine.  He clearly knows that the stories he's telling are just a bit nuts, perhaps only believing them himself because he was there.

One thing that did please me was that name dropping was kept to a minimum.  It would've been so easy to wheel out a load of gossip about the big industry names just to attract a wider audience, but fortunately Kermode hasn't stooped to this and it's a much better book for it.  You get the impression that, with a few specific exceptions, it's the movies that matter and he finds the whole celebrity circus a bit gross.  This means that it's the art form that he loves that stays centre stage.

As a result, this is a great book for movie buffs, a bit of a change from all those expensive, in depth 'making of' books and long nights spent arguing over the top 50 1980s South Korean horror movies.  Come out of the cinema and read this in the sunshine, people.  Although maybe not on a day like this...

Now, what next...

The Reading Paradox

Not the latest Dan Brown, as I'm sure you all thought, but the conundrum I've found myself in over the past few weeks.

Normally, the warmer months are a great time for me.  What reader can resist a pleasant summer afternoon outdoors, sunscreen-covered nose in a book? (That's how we bookworms preserve our appropriate pallor - industrial quantities of factor 50.)  For some reason, this year hasn't quite panned out like that.  In June/July/August 2016, I only read four books, compared with eight in 2015 and a whopping 11 in 2014.  Not only was it very odd, but it also left me without much to say to you!

September was a bit more successful, but led to the opposite problem.  While other years have seen a lull around the end of summer, this year I got through five and a half books.  "Really?"  I hear you cry "Why haven't I heard about this?!"  Well, it turns out that if I read too much, I don't have time to blog!  Who'd have thought it?

I think what I'm trying to say is, yes, I am still here, I am still reading and I am still blogging.  I've got a handful of posts in the pipeline about some of the great things I've read recently, plus I've had some trips to bookish places that I'd love to tell you all about.

So, let's get cracking!

Coming soon (hopefully)...

• A glamorous French empress!
• Two secret missions!
• And a peregrine on a Welsh island!

Review of the Year 2014!

Here we are again, can you believe it?  The end of one year and the start of another.  And what a year it's been for my reading project!

This has been my most successful twelve months so far.  I've read 33 books, a whole ten more than in 2013. Admittedly, eight of them were gifts sent to me by various publishers and retailers (thank you!) plus there were a couple of books that weren't on my list at the start of the year, but overall everything balanced out.  The extra ten books I read were new, so the remaining 23 came off my list. So it all sort of worked out nicely in the end.

As always, I've hit the variety button!  The non-fiction covered everything from journalese to murder to psychics to psychology, as well as positive thinking and chocolate (not the same book, honest!).  I've enjoyed new and established writers, short stories and full length novels.  I read thrillers, science fiction, horror and, of course, my favourite, historical fiction, plus a couple of books that defy genre.  These included an original retelling of Romeo and Juliet which I think is very underrated.  Looking back, it's been a very eclectic year and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Last year, I decided to try reading series of books to give me some intermediate and (hopefully) more achievable targets.  I would like to go back to Philippa Gregory's Cousins' War series soon and am keeping up with Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories, but this year has been the year of James Bond.  I've always loved the films and had heard a lot about the books, so really wanted to give them a go.  I'm lucky enough to have a lot of them on CD, so this was the series I started in 2014.  I've now heard six of the books and am part way through a seventh ('From Russia with Love').  There are just six more after that, so perhaps I'll finish them all in the next year.  You never know!

I'd also like to return to Cornwall and see how the Poldarks are getting on.  A new TV adaptation is looming, so I would really like to be able to watch it without spoiling the books!

So, as well as finishing Fleming and Graham's back catalogues, what else does 2015 hold?  Well, I'd really like to read at least one classic next year, as well as more non-fiction history.  I've got some great looking history on the shelves and would really like to see if it lives up to expectations!

As always, thank you for joining me on this journey.  I hope you're still enjoying the blog and finding my posts useful and entertaining.  If you've got any feedback, you can find me on Twitter as @Girl_LovesBooks.  Take care and have a fun and fabulous new year!

Related Posts

Review of the Year 2013
Review of the Year 2012

2014: The Year in Books

January
'Alex and Me' by Irene M Pepperberg

February
'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton
'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell
'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming

March
'The Devil in the Marshalsea' by Antonia Hodgson
'Gin O'Clock' by The Queen of Twitter
'The Bluffer's Guide to Chocolate'

April
'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming
'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman

May
'Mr Briggs' Hat: A Sensational Account of Britain's First Railway Murder' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming

June
'A Host of Voices' by Doris Stokes
'Dr No' by Ian Fleming
'The Psychic Tourist' by William Little
'The Essential Marx' by Groucho Marx, selected by Stefan Kanfer

July
'All My Friends are Superheroes' by Andrew Kaufman
'The Art of Being Brilliant' by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker
'Warleggan' by Winston Graham
'My Baby Shot Me Down' by Blinding Books

August
'Wake' by Anna Hope
'Octopussy, the Living Daylights and Other Stories' by Ian Fleming
'Moranthology' by Caitlin Moran

September
'The Illustrated Man' by Ray Bradbury
'Thunderball' by Ian Fleming
'Love and Treasure' by Ayelet Waldman
'Warm Bodies' Isaac Marion

October
'Office Politics' by Oliver James
'We Bought a Zoo' by Benjamin Mee
'The Tiny Wife' by Andrew Kaufman

November
'How to Read a Graveyard' by Peter Stanford
'Moonraker' by Ian Fleming

December
'The Miniaturist' by Jessie Burton

Three is a Magic Number...

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday The Girl Who Loves Books blog... Happy birthday to you!

So here we are, three years old, toddling about, asking annoying questions, learning how to tell the time and throwing tantrums (mainly because I can count and I'm starting to grasp the task ahead of me).

But it's not all doom and gloom!  In fact, 2013/14 has actually been pretty good.  Even during the lulls I've managed to read at least one book a month and, appropriately for the third year, I read three or more books in December, February and March.  In total, I've hit my two a month target and read 24 books. Yippee!

I've also read two book series (the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell and the Oryx and Crake trilogy by Margaret Atwood) and am two titles off finishing the Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory.  I've also made a start on the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming.  I've managed to get my sticky fingers on some of the excellent 007 Reloaded audio books by AudioGo, which is getting me going on these books and really helping me make progress.  I don't want to make a habit of it, but everyone likes having a story read to them from time to time and it means I can keep working on the list even when I don't have time to sit down with an actual book.

As mentioned in my 2013 review post, however, there is a slight snag.  I've read a lot of books that weren't on my list and/or are new.  Certainly something to work on this year.  Especially as I've had a count up and realised that I've got a few more books than I thought.  Ooh err.

So, in the next year I want to stay focussed on the list, keep reading at least two books a month (or ideally more) and work on series of books as this is clearly helping and I do have several sets on my shelves.  I also want to get better at a) blogging more regularly and b) blogging more quickly after finishing a book as I think I've got a bit rubbish at doing this again.  After all, I should've written this post on 5th May 2014...

Last but far from least, a big thank you to you for reading my blog.  I hope you're still enjoying it and appreciate your support and encouragement.  If you have any feedback, you can find me on Twitter as @Girl_LovesBooks.

Now, where's that birthday cake...

Previously from the Girl Who Loves Books...

June

'The Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer

July

'The Lady of the Rivers' by Philippa Gregory

'The White Queen' by Philippa Gregory

August

'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr

'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory

September

'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood

'Maddaddam' by Margaret Atwood

October

'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell

'Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell

December

'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

'You Made me Late Again!" by Pam Ayres

'The House We Grew up In' by Lisa Jewell

'Him and Me' by Michael and Jack Whitehall

January
'Alex and Me' by Irene M. Pepperberg

February
'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton
'The Pagan Lord' by Bernard Cornwell
'For Your Eyes Only' by Ian Fleming

March
'The Devil in the Marshalsea' by Antonia Hodgson
'Gin O' Clock' by HM The Queen of Twitter
'The Bluffer's Guide to Chocolate' by Neil Davey

April
'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming
'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman

May
'Mr Briggs' Hat' by Kate Colquhoun
'Live and Let Die' by Ian Fleming

Birthday Blogs
2013
2012
The First Post

Review of the Year 2013!

An old year ends and a new one begins and it's time for another check up!

Over the past 12 months, I've read 22 books.  Pretty good you might think, just two off my target for each year.  Just one slight problem.  Five of those books weren't actually on my list in the first place.  'MaddAddam' by Margaret Atwood and 'Consumed' by Harry Wallop, for example, were newly published in 2013, but they caught my eye and before I knew it I was several pages in.  So I think I really need to stop reading book reviews if I'm ever going to read everything I already have!

On the plus side, I've read lots of different genres again this year (which I hope makes my blog varied and entertaining!).  We've had horror ('Fluke' by James Herbert), history ('My Heart is My Own' by John Guy), science fiction ('The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis) and biographical works by Sir Roger Moore and Arabella Weir.  I even read a classic in the form of 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, although it did take six weeks and I kind of hoped I would read more than just one in 2013.

Later in the year, I decided to try out finishing some sets of books, something I considered in the 2012 review of the year.  This seems to have worked - I've finished Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake trilogy and would've finished Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories if he hadn't had the cheek to publish a new one!  I'm already on the case with that, though, and hope to finish it early in 2014.

I also made an attempt on Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series.  Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the second and third books as much as the first, which has put me off reading the fourth, 'The Kingmaker's Daughter'.  Ms Gregory also published a new addition to this series in 2013, 'The White Princess'.  I think I may give this series another go at a later date, but not just yet.

Overall, this strategy has gone well, so I think I will carry it over into 2014 as it gives me a sense of achievement without tying me down too much.  I can still mix and match if the mood takes me or I think you might be getting a bit bored!

Unfortunately, I didn't read anything anniversary related in 2013.  As how long it takes me to read books can be very unpredictable, however, I'd have probably disappointed myself and everyone else by failing to finish the right book at the right time anyway, so that idea's probably safer left on the back burner.

So 2013 was on the whole quite positive.  I nearly made my target (even though it was in fits and starts and there was a sudden late surge) and I finished a few series and kept the variety going in my reading.  But next year I must refocus and keep that list of new releases firmly out of reach!  I also hope to find the time to blog more often, perhaps including more posts related to things I've read to keep you entertained.  One thing I know for sure, though, is that I mustn't get carried away and forget what this is actually all about!

I hope you've enjoy hearing about the books I've read and want to say thank you for your part in this project.  Don't forget that I can be found on Twitter (@Girl_LovesBooks) and love to hear what you think of the project and books I've read.  Happy new year and I hope you have a healthy, successful and enjoyable 2014.

Related Posts

Review of the Year 2012

2013: The Year in Books

February 2013

'My Heart is My Own' by John Guy

'Fluke' by James Herbert

March

'My Word is My Bond' by Roger Moore

'The Man Who Fell to Earth' by Walter Tevis

'The Real Me is Thin' by Arabella Weir

April

'The Other Queen' by Philippa Gregory

'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella

May

'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro

'Consumed' by Harry Wallop

June

'The Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer

July

'The Lady of the Rivers' by Philippa Gregory

'The White Queen' by Philippa Gregory

August

'Will Storr vs The Supernatural' by Will Storr

'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory

September

'The Year of the Flood' by Margaret Atwood

'Maddaddam' by Margaret Atwood

October

'The Burning Land' by Bernard Cornwell

'Death of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell

December

'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

'You Made me Late Again!" by Pam Ayres

'The House We Grew up In' by Lisa Jewell

'Him and Me' by Michael and Jack Whitehall

Review of the Year 2012!

Ah, 2012!  A great year for distractions, not such a good one for reading!  Although, having said that, I did spend a few hours reading 'The Somnambulist' rather than watching the sailing on a big screen on Weymouth beach, so perhaps I can't really blame the Olympics or Jubilee!

2012 really didn't start well for my project.  One book in two months?  TWO MONTHS?  And a book of short stories at that?!  I'm pretty sure it wasn't the fault of R, Murray Gilchrist, author of 'A Night on the Moor and Other Tales of Dread', or his stories.  As usual, I'd bitten off more than I could chew with a training course, lots on at work and a number of other factors too tedious to go into.  June was equally unsuccessful, because my friends had the audacity to keep getting married or having children.  I didn't want to chance chucking a hardback at the married couple rather than confetti, so decided not to try to multitask that month!

Fortunately, for the rest of the year (nine months) I made my target of at least two books a month.  This totalled 21 volumes in all, excluding the three books I gave up on (sorry Ms. Austen!), which brings it up to 24.  OK, it's not quite the 30 books I managed in 2011, but it's still progress.  Slow progress, but progress nonetheless!

I've read quite a selection of books this year, so I hope you've all found something of interest to you.  The books included modern classics, science fiction, horror, humour, literary fiction, historical fiction (surprise, surprise!), short stories (ditto!) and non-fiction.  There have been quite a few new books in there this year, including the lovely 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and enchanting 'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures'.  Although I don't regret reading them for one moment, trying to be less distracted by new releases will have to be a resolution for 2013, otherwise I'll never empty my shelves!

My big regret for 2012 is that I didn't take advantage of various celebrations, anniversaries or film releases to spur me on.  'We Bought a Zoo' came out on DVD, while 'The Woman in Black', 'Anna Karenina' and 'Life of Pi' arrived at cinemas.  There is still hope yet, though.  While 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film, 'Doctor No', 2013 is the 60th anniversary of the first Bond book, 'Casino Royale'.  Sounds like a good opportunity to me!

On the whole, I think this has been an OK year, but I definitely want 2013 to be better.  A minimum of two books a months seems manageable, so I think I'll stick to that for the time being, but I must make sure the acquisitions stay under control too!  I think I would like to read more classics in next year (I have my eye on 'Jane Eyre', 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' and 'Anna Karenina') and more non-fiction (I've got a few history books waiting for me).  Although I don't want my love of historical fiction to take over, it would be great if I could finish at least one series of books.  I'm part way through Jean Plaidy's Tudor novels, Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred books and Winston Graham's Poldark stories.

I sincerely hope that you've enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it.  I always try to be honest and fair in my opinions and respectful of the authors whose work I read, which I hope comes across.

Until next time, I'd like to wish you all a very happy new year and the very best for 2013!  I hope you'll join  me again soon!

2012: The Year in Books

January 
'A Night on the Moor' by R.Murray Gilchrist

March
'QI Book of General Ignorance'
'The Virgin's Lover' by Philippa Gregory

April
'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett
'The Psychopath Test' by Jon Ronson

May
'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' by Winifred Watson
'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' by Jen Campbell
'Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller

July
'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald

August
'The Somnambulist' by Essie Fox
'The Day of the Triffids' by John Wyndham

September
'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' by Rachel Joyce
'In-Flight Entertainment' by Helen Simpson

October
'Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures' by Emma Straub
'Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee' by Neil Forsythe
'Sword Song' by Bernard Cornwell

November
'How to be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran
'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving

December
'Little Boy Lost' by Marghanita Laski
'The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ' by Philip Pullman